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July is home to International Joke day. To help you master your joke telling, we have selected some books that tell the funniest, or perhaps cringe-worthy jokes out there. Humor can come in many forms. Whether you like puns, wit, or riddles, there is something here to tickle anyone’s funny bone. Sometimes though, jokes can go too far and become pranks. Books in this list will explore telling jokes, how others feel when jokes are played on them, and other aspects of humor. When searching for books about jokes, try searching the subject phrases “juvenile literature” or “juvenile fiction” with subject phrases like “practical jokes”, “jokes”, “riddles”, or “wit and humor”.

Picture Books

Krull, Kathleen.
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country). 2010.
A biography of one of America’s greatest presidents, focusing on his use of wit and humor, and his love of language.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SB. L63k]

Shannon, Molly.
Tilly the Trickster. 2011.
Tilly loves to play pranks on everyone around her, but when her family decides to turn the tables Tilly needs to decide if she should change.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. Sh195t]

Inns, Christopher.
The Jokers. 2005.
Mungo the Elephant and Mr. Thunderpants love playing jokes on each other, but they really love playing jokes on their friends. With bold images and simple text, this engaging book teaches children the appropriateness of practical jokes in an enjoyable way.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. In69j]

Higgins, Nadia.
Blimey, That’s Slimey! 2008.
Slimebeard is proud to have the slimiest beard around! But when Armpit Arnie’s pirat-ical joke dries it up, he finds revenge by sticking Arnie in a ladder. The only way to unstick Arnie is with an apology only a pirate could accept and some of Slimebeard’s secret slime.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H5356b]

Lupton, Hugh.
Riddle Me This! 2003.
A whimsical collection of riddles and riddling stories from all over the world. The playful illustrations offer clues that will help children to solve the riddles.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.818 L974r]

Middle Grade

Baratz-Logstead, Lauren.
Jackie’s Jokes. 2009.
April Fools’ Day is long and hard for the third-grade Huit octuplets, but it is nothing compared to the challenges of Tax Day, through which Jackie discovers her special power and gift and learns more about their parents’ mysterious disappearance.
[SSHEL S Collection S.B231j]

Chmielewski, Gary.
The Science Zone: Jokes, Riddles, Tongue Twisters and “Daffynitions”. 2008.
This fully illustrated book is jam-packed with over 100 science-themed jokes, tongue twisters, and Daffynitions. Not only are these jokes entertaining and educational, but the humorous text involves a higher order of thinking skills that can support comprehension.
[SSHEL S Collection S.818.5402 C45s]

Brewer, Paul.
You Must Be Joking, Two! 2007.
Author/illustrator Paul Brewer includes 11-1/2 tips that show future comedians how to prepare and perform their own stand-up routines. In addition to memorizing jokes from books, he encourages young comics to make up their own.
[SSHEL S Collection S.818.5402 B758y]

Teens and Young Adult

Shusterman, Neal.
Shadow Club. 2002.
When a junior high school boy and his friends decide to form a club of “second bests” and play anonymous tricks on each other’s arch rivals, the harmless pranks escalate until they become life-threatening.
[SSHEL S Collection S. Sh932sha 2002]

Gorman, Carol.
Dork on the Run. 2002.
Having reluctantly agreed to run for sixth-grade president, Jerry, who has been trying to change his image as a dork, finds his opponent playing dirty tricks on him.
[SSHEL S Collection S.G68d]

Levy, Elizabeth.
My Life as a Fifth-Grade Comedian. 1997.
Although Bobby’s father thinks that he might be expelled just like his older brother, with the encouragement of a new fifth-grade teacher, Bobby tries to channel his penchant for humor into a learning experience.
[SSHEL S Collection S. L5792my]

Baker, Kimberly.
PICKLE: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School. 2012.
Using a bogus name, the League of Picklemakers, sixth-grader Ben and three recruits start a prank-pulling club and receive funding from their middle school’s PTA.
[SSHEL S Collection S.B1711p]

Vast and full of secrets, the ocean has been a constant place of human exploration. Even though it covers almost three quarters of the Earth’s surface, some people never get the chance to see it. Let these books bring the ocean and its inhabitants to you. From colorful fish to underwater plants, there is something for everyone in the ocean. SSHEL has over six hundred books about the ocean, so we have selected a few to begin your undersea adventure. When searching for general books about the ocean, try searching the subject phrases “juvenile literature” or “juvenile fiction” with subject phrases like “ocean,” “sea,” “marine biology,” or “sea stories.”Picture Books

Neubecker, Robert.Wow! Ocean!2011.
When Izzy and her sister Jo travel from the mountains to the ocean they find a wealth of things to be excited about.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. N391wow]

Rockhill, Dennis.Ocean Whisper / Susurro del Oceano. 2005.
A boy’s fish bowl and a whale poster transform into an undersea dream in which he becomes a whale, playing in the ocean and encountering various plants and animals. Story told in English and Spanish.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. R591s]

Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner.Dolphin’s First Day: the Story of a Bottlenose Dolphin. 1994.
Describes a baby dolphin’s experiences during his first day in the ocean.
[SSHEL S Collection Q.SE. Z72D]

Freymann, Saxton.One Lonely Seahorse. 2000.
One lonely sea horse learns that she has a lot of friends in this counting book — friends she can really “count” on.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. F898o]

Malnor, Carol.On Kiki’s Reef. 2014.
A green sea turtle hatches and grows up in the ocean, then moves to shallower water near a coral reef where she spends most of the rest of her life. Includes supplementary information about turtles, coral reef creatures, maps, and activities.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. M297o]Beginner and Intermediate Nonfiction

Smithyman, Kathryn.The Ocean Biome. 2003.
Examines the four zones of the marine biome, their plants and animals, coral reefs and estuaries, the importance of the oceans to the Earth, and how they are in danger.
[SSHEL S Collection S.577.7 Sm69o]

Mayer, Cassie.Ocean. 2008.
InOcean, children view various objects in an ocean and are asked to determine if they are living or nonliving. Stunning photographs show animals, plant life, and other features that are unique to an ocean habitat.
[SSHEL S Collection S.577.7 M4522o]

Hughes, Catherine D.First Big Book of the Ocean. 2013.
Introduces several of the ocean’s species, provides profiles of creatures, from dolphins and sharks to sea otters and penguins, while sharing facts about their characteristics, diets, and habitats.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.46 H8741f]

Mitton, Tony.Ocean Odyssey. 2010.
The North Pacific Ocean is vast and dark and deep. It’s home to many creatures that swim and float and creep! Join Rabbit, Mouse, and Bird as they dive beneath the waves of the North Pacific Ocean and meet a host of amazing animals along the way
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.77 M698o]

Smith, Marie.W Is for Waves: an Ocean Alphabet. 2008.
An A to Z introduction to our world’s oceans and ocean life. Topics include Atlantis, kelp forests, the Great Barrier Reef, mollusks, Queen Isabella, and many more.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.551.46 Sm622w]Teens and Young Adult

Ocean, Davy.Lights! Camera! Hammerhead!2014.
When humans show up at Shark Point to film an underwater documentary, Harry Hammer is thrilled. He’s sure he’s meant for the spotlight, but will he end up with the starring role of his dreams, or stay in deep-sea oblivion?
[SSHEL S Collection S. Oc22l]

Kane, Tracy.Ocean Secrets. 2014.
Exploring the Isles of Shoals, Kate and Luke discover the magic along these rocky shores, including what looks like an underwater fairy castle in a tidal pool. Also, out at sea, pirates, ghosts, and a feisty seal are just the beginning of a secret new world of adventure awaiting them.
[SSHEL S Collection S. K1316o]

Holyoke, Polly.The Neptune Project. 2013.
A group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean must embark on a dangerous underwater journey to find refuge — and maybe even a way to save the world.
[SSHEL S Collection S. H748n]

Spring is a great time for being outdoors, and what better way than to be on a bicycle! There are many different ways to enjoy a bicycle ride. You can ride on roads, trails, through the woods, or even on sandy beaches! Riding a bike is an inexpensive and easy way to explore, but you have to make sure you do it safely. The books below highlight various aspects of biking such as different types of bikes, a famous race, learning to ride a bike, being safe, and a couple of adventure novels for young adults that center on bike riding. When searching for books about bicycles, try searching the subject phrases “juvenile literature” or “juvenile fiction” with subject phrases like “bicycles and bicycling,” “cycling,” “bicycles,” “bicycles safety measures,” or “mountain biking.”

Picture Books

Blackford, Andy.Bill’s Bike. 2011.
Bill has a new bicycle with four wheels, but as he rides and rides he loses wheels one at a time until he finds out just how many he needs to have.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. B5641b]

Bourne, B. B.Henry on Wheels. 2013
When Mom says Henry may go only around his block on his bike, Henry discovers that there are lots of fascinating things to see close to home — from a hot dog truck to cement mixers.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. B6675h]

Paschka, Chris.Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bike. 2013.
A father teaches his daughter all about bicycle riding, from selecting the right bike to trying again after a fall.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. R115e]

Proimos, James and Johanna Wright.The Best Bike Ride Ever. 2012
Bonnie O’Boy really wants a bicycle, but when she gets one, she forgets to do something that is very important.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. P943b]

Rosenberry, Vera.Vera Rides a Bike. 2004
Vera is riding her new bicycle in the school yard, when she discovers there’s no one there to help her brake to stop herself.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. R723v]

Beginner and Intermediate Nonfiction

De Medeiros, Michael.Mountain Biking. 2008
From skills to bike parts, readers will learn the ins and outs of the adventures of mountain biking.
[SSHEL S Collection S.796.63 D393m]

Pancella, Peggy.Bicycle Safety. 2005.
With pictures and tips, this book teaches readers how to ride safely from choosing the proper gear to riding on the road.
[SSHEL S Collection S.796.6 P191b]

Middle Grade

Hutchins, Hazel.The Great Bike Rescue. 2013.
When best friends Levi and Riley both have their bikes stolen, they embark on a journey to find the culprit.
[SSHEL S Collection S. H9707g]

Teens and Young Adult

Cormier, Robert.I Am the Cheese. 1978.
A young boy desperately tries to unlock his past yet knows he must hide those memories if he is to remain alive. A bicycle trip provides the framework for this grim story.
[SSHEL S Collection S.C8113i 1978]

Lynch, Janet Nichols.Racing California. 2012.
High school senior Evan is conflicted when he is recruited for the prestigious Amgen Tour of California bicycle race by one of his heroes, and must decide whether to pursue his love of racing or go to college after he graduates from his Arizona high school.
[SSHEL S Collection S. L9914r]

With April comes spring, and with spring (often) comes lots of rain. This time of year, we become especially aware of the fact that water is all around us, falling from the sky, rushing in streams and rivers, saturating the winter-dry air with humidity. Now is a great time to explore books with children about the powerful natural force that is the water cycle, shaping our planet since it was first formed. When searching for books about the water cycle, try searching the subject phrases “juvenile literature” or “juvenile fiction” with subject phrases like “water (or hydrologic) cycle,’ “hydrology,” “rain and rainfall,” or just “water.”

Picture Books

Base, Graeme.The Water Hole. 2001.
As ever growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. B291w]

Cole, Joanna.The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks. 1986.
When Ms. Frizzle, the strangest teacher in school, takes her class on a field trip to the waterworks, everyone ends up experiencing the water purification system from the inside.
[SSHEL S Collection SE.C675M]

Frasier, Debra.The Incredible Water Show. 2004.
Elementary school students present the water cycle as acts in a play where water is the real star.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. F864i]

Glaser, Omri.Round the Garden. 1999.
Traces the journey of a tear as it falls to the ground, evaporates, reappears as rain, and waters a garden to make an onion grow to produce more tears.
[SSHEL Oak Street SE. G4621r]

Locker, Thomas.Water Dance. 1997.
Water speaks of its existence in such forms as storm clouds, mist, rainbows, and rivers. Includes factual information on the water cycle.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.L7963w]

Reynolds, Paul A.Full STEAM Ahead! 2014.
Twins Sydney and Simon learn about the water cycle and use science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to solve the problem of their stuck window and thirsty flowers.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. R3361f]

Seven, John.The Ocean Story. 2011.
Relates the story of the oceans that are home to so many creatures, that are part of the water cycle which produces rain, and that can become very messy if we do not take care of them.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. Se824o]

Beginner and Intermediate Nonfiction

Bauer, Marion Dane.Rain. 2004.
Illustrations and simple text explain what rain is, how it is used by plants, birds, and people, and the importance of clean water.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.577 B326r]

Bundey, Nikki.Rain and the Earth. 2000.
Examines the role that rain plays on earth, how the cycle of evaporation and condensation works, and the effects of water on all forms of life. Includes related experiments.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.577 B882r2001]

Harman, Rebecca.The Water Cycle. 2005.
Follow a drop of water as it moves around the world! From the largest glaciers, to the steam coming out of a kettle, find out how water can change, and how it can alter landscapes.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.48 H227w]

Hirschmann, Kris.It’s Wet Out! 2008.
This book introduces how different types of precipitation form and the dangers and benefits they provide. Clear, helpful diagrams, full-color photographs, bold glossary words, and an index support this easy-to-read, engaging text.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.577 H617i]

Kalman, Bobbie.The Water Cycle. 2006.
Discusses how water forms, how to keep it clean, and its importance to humans and the ecology.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.48 K126w]

Kaner, Etta.Who Likes the Rain? 2007.
Rain — it makes puddles for jumping in, helps birds to clean their feathers and brings out snails and worms. But what is rain? And how does it transform the world around us?
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.57 K131w]

Korb, Rena B.The Wild Water Cycle. 2008.
The water cycle’s processes of precipitation, evaporation, and water vapor are explained with simple text and matching illustrations. A science activity, fun facts section, glossary, and index aid students in learning about the wild water cycle happening around them.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.48 K841w]

Lyon, George Ella.All the Water in the World. 2011.
Introduces young children to the water cycle with simple text and illustrations.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S.551.48 L9942a]

McKinney, Barbara Shaw.A Drop Around the World. 1998.
Presents the water cycle through the journey of a raindrop around the world, in sky, on land, underground, and in the sea, in its liquid, solid, and vapor forms, as it supports life everywhere.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.551.48 M215d]

Morrison, Gordon.A Drop of Water. 2006.
Author and illustrator Gordon Morrison has captured a single moment in time, revealing the course and influence of water, and inviting readers to pause and consider the world around them in this beautiful and lyrical appreciation of nature and the resource that makes it all possible: a drop of water.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.551.48 M834d]

Walker, Sally M.Water Up, Water Down: The Hydrologic Cycle. 1992.
Describes the hydrologic cycle and its importance to life on Earth.
[SSHEL S Collection S.551.48 W154W]

Wells, Robert E.Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water? 2006.
In this work about the water cycle, readers discover that the molecules in their glass of water may have once been part of a dinosaur watering hole.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.551.48 W462d]

The experiences of Spanish-speaking populations in America have resulted in a dialect some call Chicano English. Spoken especially in the Southwestern United States and California, it is not what happens when native Spanish speakers are attempting to learn English and still speak it brokenly. Rather, it’s a blending of the two languages, much like the experience of all who relocate to a new country or culture; there will always be a balancing act between celebrating the old and welcoming the new. When searching for books about young people who have this experience, or for characters who blend the two languages, you can try searching a specific nationality of Hispanic heritage (Puerto Rican American, Mexican American, Cuban American, etc.) as a subject term along with the subject “juvenile fiction” (for fiction) or “juvenile literature” (for non-fiction). To find bilingual books, search “Spanish language materials Bilingual” as a subject.

Online Resources

PBS.Do You Speak American? Spanish and Chicano English.
This website provides educators an extensive list of reading materials, resources, activities, and discussion guides for high school students learning about the development of Spanish-speaking and Chicano English in America.

Alarcon, Francisco X.Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems. 1999.
A bilingual collection of poems in which the renowned Mexican American poet revisits and celebrates his childhood memories of fall in the city and growing up in Los Angeles.
[SSHEL S Collection S.811 Al12a]

Alarcon, Francisco X.Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems. 1997.
A bilingual collection of humorous and serious poems about family, nature, and celebrations by a renowned Mexican American poet.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S.811 Al12l]

Mora, Pat.The Rainbow Tulip. 1999.
A Mexican-American first-grader experiences the difficulties and pleasures of being different when she wears a tulip costume with all the colors of the rainbow for the school May Day parade.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. M79r]

Mora, Pat.Water Rolls, Water Rises. 2014.
A series of verses, in English and Spanish, about the movement and moods of water around the world and the ways in which water affects a variety of landscapes and cultures.
[SSHEL S Collection S.553.7 M79w]

Morales, Yuyi.Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book. 2008.
As Señor Calavera prepares for Grandma Beetle’s birthday he finds an alphabetical assortment of unusual presents, but with the help of Zelmiro the Ghost, he finds the best gift of all.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. M792ju]

Morales, Yuyi.Niño Wrestles the World. 2013.
Lucha Libre champion Niño has no trouble fending off monstrous opponents, but when his little sisters awaken from their naps, he is in for a no-holds-barred wrestling match that will truly test his skills.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. M792n]

Perez, Amada Irma.My Diary from Here to There. 2002.
A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the United States.
[SSHEL S Collection S.P4152my]

Perez, Amada Irma.My Very Own Room. 2000.
With the help of her family, a resourceful Mexican-American girl with two parents, five little brothers, and visiting relatives realizes her dream of having a space of her own to read and to think. Based on the author’s own childhood.
[SSHEL Oak Street SE. P4152m]

Soto, Gary.Chato’s Kitchen.
To get the “ratoncitos,” little mice, who have moved into the barrio to come to his house, Chato the cat prepares all kinds of good food: fajitas, frijoles, salsa, enchiladas, and more.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. So78c]

Young Adult/Intermediate

Alvarez, Julia.How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. 1991.
It’s a long way from Santo Domingo to the Bronx, but if anyone can go the distance, it’s the Garcia girls. Four lively Latinas plunged from a pampered life of privilege on an island compound into the big-city chaos of New York, they rebel against Mami and Papi’s old-world discipline and embrace all that America has to offer.
[Main Stacks 813 AL86H and Uni High Fiction Al86h2005]

Anaya, Rudolfo A.Bless Me, Ultima. 1972.
Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima comes to stay with his family in New Mexico. She is a curandera, one who cures with herbs and magic. Under her wise wing, Tony will test the bonds that tie him to his people, and discover himself in the pagan past, in his father’s wisdom, and in his mother’s Catholicism. And at each life turn there is Ultima, who delivered Tony into the world-and will nurture the birth of his soul.
[Main Stacks 813 AN18B, Undergraduate Library PS3551.N27 B5 1972, and Uni High Fiction An1881999]

Cisneros, Sandra.The House on Mango Street. 1991.
The story of a young girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago. Capturing her thoughts and emotions in poems and stories, she is able to rise above hopelessness and create a quiet space for herself in the midst of her oppressive surroundings.
[Main Stacks 813 C497h 1991, Undergraduate Library PS3553.I78 H6 1991, and Residence Halls Lincoln Avenue Circulating Collection 813 C497ho]

Cisneros, Sandra.Caramelo. 2002.
The celebrated author of The House on Mango Street gives us an extraordinary new novel, told in language of blazing originality: a multigenerational story of a Mexican-American family whose voices create a dazzling weave of humor, passion, and poignancy–the very stuff of life.
[Undergraduate Library PS3553.I78 C37 2002, Residence Halls Allen Hall Circulating Collection 813 C497ca, and Uni High Fiction C497c]

Cofer, Judith Ortiz.Call Me Maria. 2004.
Fifteen-year-old Maria leaves her mother and their Puerto Rican home to live in the barrio of New York with her father, feeling torn between the two cultures in which she has been raised.
[SSHEL S Collection S. Or85c]

Herrera, Juan Felipe.Downtown Boy. 2005.
From June of 1958 to June of 1959, Juanito tries to stay out of mischief and be good as he, his mother, and his father move around the state of California, never quite feeling at home.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. H433d]

Jimenez, Francisco.The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. 1997.
A collection of stories about the life of a migrant family.
[SSHEL S Collection S.J564c and Main Stacks 813 J5641C]

Santiago, Esmeralda.Almost a Woman. 1998.
In her new memoir, the acclaimed author of When I Was Puerto Rican continues the riveting chronicle of her emergence from the barrios of Brooklyn to the theaters of Manhattan.
[Main Stacks 974.71004687 Sa59a and Residence Halls Illinois Street Multicultural 974.7 Sa59a 1998]

Soto, Gary.Baseball in April. 1990.
A collection of eleven short stories focusing on the everyday adventures of Hispanic young people growing up in Fresno, California. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us. Glossary of Spanish terms included.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. So78b]

Soto, Gary.Living Up the Street. 1985.
The author describes his experiences growing up as a Mexican American in Fresno, California.
[Undergraduate Library F869.F8 S67 1985]

Thomas, Piri.Down These Mean Streets. 1967.
As he recounts the journey that took him from adolescence in El Barrio to a lock-up in Sing Sing to the freedom that comes of self-acceptance, faith, and inner confidence, Piri Thomas gives us a book that is as exultant as it is harrowing and whose every page bears the irrepressible rhythm of its author’s voice.
[Undergraduate Library F128.9.P8 T5 1967]

Villarreal, Jose Antonio.Pocho. 1970.
Villarreal illuminates here the world of “pochos,” Americans whose parents come to the United States from Mexico. Set in Depression-era California, the novel focuses on Richard, a young pocho who experiences the intense conflict between loyalty to the traditions of his family’s past and attraction to new ideas.
[SSHEL S Collection S.V713P1970]

Though most of us would probably say letter writing is low on our preferred means of communication, the written word is still essential for staying in touch. We email, text, and leave comments for each other on social media. While our means of communication today are much more efficient, there is something very personal and special about receiving a letter from someone we love. When we think of correspondence through letters, we think of history, of times when things were much slower. We might think of grand, romantic declarations of love or top secret war messages being sent this way. When we get the opportunity to read stories that are told through letters sent back and forth between characters, it puts us right in the moment, sharing those experiences with the writers; it puts us in suspense, because we only know what the letters tell us. When looking for children’s and teen’s books about letter writing, or books written in the epistolary format, try searching the subject phrases “juvenile fiction” or “juvenile literature” with terms like “epistolary,” “correspondence,” or “letters.”

Picture Books

Bellisario, Gina.The Twelve Days of Christmas in Illinois. 2012.
Mia writes a letter home each of the twelve days she spends exploring the state of Illinois at Christmastime, as her cousin Sam shows her everything from the state capital, Springfield, to historic Route 66. Includes facts about Illinois.
[SSHEL S Collection S. B4173t]

Daywalt, Drew.The Day the Crayons Quit. 2013.
When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. D337d]

Luna, Tom.Letters Forever / Cartas Para Siempre. 2012.
Missing her grandfather who has moved from Texas back home to Mexico, Lela tries to ride her bike to see him. Since this is unsuccessful, she writes letters to him until she grows up and is able to visit him in person. (Bilingual. Parallel text in English and Spanish.)
[SSHEL S Collection S. L9715l]

Moore, Marian and Kensington, Mary Jane.Dear Cinderella. 2012.
Cinderella and Snow White exchange letters and become friends as they tell each other about the problems they face with their stepmothers and other events in their lives.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. M7811d]

Orloff, Karen Kaufman.I Wanna New Room. 2010.
Through a series of brief letters to his parents, Alex presents all the reasons why he should not have to share a room with his younger brother.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. Or55iw]

Stanton, Melissa.My Pen Pal, Santa. 2013.
When Ava writes a thank you to Santa in January, he writes back and sets off a year’s worth of correspondence where they exchange information about their daily lives and discuss their shared love of Christmas.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. St262m]

Stein, David Ezra.Love, Mouserella. 2011.
“This is my letter I wrote to Grandmouse because I miss her. She went back to the country and I’m in the city. Mama said why don’t I write her a letter, so I did.”
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. St341lo]

Stewart, Sarah.The Gardener. 1997.
A series of letters relating what happens when, after her father loses his job, Lydia Grace goes to live with her Uncle Jim in the city but takes her love for gardening with her.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. St495g]

Tonatiuh, Duncan.Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin. 2010.
Two cousins, one in Mexico and one in New York City, write to each other and learn that even though their daily lives differ, at heart the boys are very similar. In English with some Spanish words = En inglés con algunas palabras en español.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books Q. SE. T61d]

Intermediate and Young Adult Fiction

Cleary, Beverly.Dear Mr. Henshaw. 1983.
In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents’ divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. C58d]

Fleming, David.The Saturday Boy. 2013.
Every school day seems to bring more trouble to eleven-year-old Derek, whose former best friend bullies him, while at home he deals with the long absence of his father, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and his mother’s sudden moodiness. His only source of comfort are the letters from his dad, which he saves in an old lunchbox and reads over and over, wishing that his dad could come home.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. F631s]

Hest, Amy.Letters to Leo. 2012.
In a series of letters to her new dog, fourth-grader Annie Rossi relates her daily exploits and remembers her mother.
[SSHEL S Collection S. H469le]

House, Silas and Vaswani, Neela.Same Sun Here. 2012.
A twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner’s son become pen pals, and eventually best friends, through a series of revealing letters exploring such topics as environmental activism, immigration, and racism.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. H8167s]

Johnson, Maureen.13 Little Blue Envelopes. 2005.
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. J635t and Uni High Fiction J635t]The Last Little Blue Envelope. 2011.
Seventeen-year-old Ginny Blackstone precipitously travels from her home in New Jersey to London when she receives a message from an unknown man telling her he has the letters that were stolen just before she completed a series of mysterious tasks assigned by her now dead aunt, an artist.
[SSHEL S Collection S. J635l and Uni High Fiction J635l]

Klise, Kate.Dying to Meet You. 2009.
In this story told mostly through letters, children’s book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. K689dy]Over My Dead Body. 2009.
In this story told mostly through letters, busybody Dick Tater tries to ban Halloween and ghost stories, as well as to break up the popular writing team of I. B. Grumply, ghost Olive C. Spence, and eleven-year-old illustrator Seymour Hope.
[SSHEL S Collection S. K689o]Till Death Do Us Bark. 2011.
In this story told mostly through letters, Noah Breth’s feuding children come to Ghastly, Illinois, to follow a trail of limericks to their inheritance, while Seymour tries to convince Iggy and Olive to let him keep Mr. Breth’s dog.
[SSHEL S Collection S. K689td]Hollywood, Dead Ahead. 2013.
When film producer Moe Block Busters offers to make their book into a movie, Iggy, Olive, and Seymour head to Hollywood where Olive, furious at being written out of the script, enlists the help of a famed femme fatale to scare the despicable director half to death.
[SSHEL S Collection S. K689ho]

Mack, Jeff.Clueless McGee. 2012.
Through a series of letters to his father, a private investigator, fifth-grader PJ “Clueless” McGee tells of his efforts to discover who stole macaroni and cheese from the school cafeteria.
[SSHEL S Collection S. M1905c]Clueless McGee and the Inflatable Pants. 2013.
Fifth-grader PJ “Clueless” McGee writes a series of letters to his father, a private investigator, telling of his attempt to learn who stole the science fair trophy, thus clearing his own name.
[SSHEL S Collection S. M1905cl]

Non-Fiction

Bie, Ceciel de.My Brother, Vincent Van Gogh. 2002.
The story of artist Vincent van Gogh and his art-dealer brother, Theo, who were very close and who wrote long letters to each other after Vincent moved to the countryside to be inspired by and paint nature. Includes drawing and painting activities.
[SSHEL S Collection SB. V253b]

Cumming, David.Pakistan. 2005.
Letters from a young Pakistani boy describe his country and customs.
[SSHEL S Collection S.954.91 C912p]

Oppenheim, Joanne.Dear Miss Breed. 2006.
Provides the story of life in a Japanese internment camp during World War II through the correspondence of the children in the camp to their librarian, Miss Clara Breed, who worked on their behalf to show the injustice of their imprisonment.
[SSHEL S Collection S.940.53 Op53d]

Orchard, Andy.Canada. 2005.
Letters from a young Canadian girl provide an overview about Canada and its customs.
[SSHEL S Collection S.971 Or18c]

Parks, Rosa.Dear Mrs. Parks. 1996,
Presents correspondence between Rosa Parks and various children in which the “Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement” answers questions and encourages young people to reach their highest potential.
[SSHEL S Collection SB. P2521p]

Rubin, Susan Goldman.Searching for Anne Frank: Letters from Amsterdam to Iowa. 2003.
Provides a glimpse of life during World War II in both the Netherlands and the United States through the correspondence of Anne Frank and her Iowa pen pals.
[SSHEL S Collection SB. F828ru]

It’s January, and depending on how you feel about winter weather, the sun setting at 4 p.m., and going back to work or school after having some time off with family and friends, it can be a tough month. All the more reason why we (young and old) should be discovering and sharing stories that make us laugh, are entertaining, and are enjoyably familiar. The following list of resources seeks to provide just that: these funny fairy tales take the traditional stories we know and turn them on their heads or poke fun at them. To find more titles like these, try searching the subject phrase “juvenile fiction” along with phrases like “fairy tales,” “humor,” and any other distinguishing characters or topics you’d like, such as princes, princesses, fairies, witches, trolls, goblins, etc.

Codell, Esme Raji.Fairly Fairy Tales. 2011.
Offers a different look at some classic stories, as a parent and child read before bedtime.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books SE. C648f]

Conway, David.The Great Fairy Tale Disaster. 2012.
When an old Big Bad Wolf, who no longer has enough huff and puff to blow down a house, tries to find a nice relaxing fairy tale for a change, he winds up making a big mess for Cinderella, Rapunzel, and other well-known characters.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. C7697gr]

Hodgkinson, Leigh.Goldilocks and Just One Bear. 2012.
Little Bear, all grown up, finds himself lost in a noisy, busy city where he happens to bump into someone with golden hair who remembers exactly how he likes his porridge.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H6678g2012]

Holub, Joan.Knuckleheads. 2008.
From Handsel and Gretel nibbling on a house made of finger food to Handerella trying to win over the handsome Finger Prints, Knuckleheads is hands down fun! Earburt and Toeper give it two thumbs up! The combination of Joan Holub’s pun-filled humor and Michael Slack’s on-the-nose pictures make this a must-read for all ages.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H7472k]

Lendler, Ian.An Undone Fairy Tale. 2005.
“Now, Ned and I admire how well you read. But the story will be ruined if you turn the page right now. So please don’t.” A beautiful pie-making princess is trapped in a tower. Can Sir Wilbur rescue her? And more importantly, can he do it while wearing a tutu? He’s going to try! But if you read the story too quickly, Ned won’t be able to make the pictures or costumes in time. And happily-ever-after may start to go a bit haywire.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. L546a]

O’Malley, Kevin.Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude. 2005.
Cooperatively writing a fairy tale for school, a girl imagines a beautiful princess whose beloved ponies are being stolen by a giant, and a boy conjures up the muscular biker who will guard the last pony in exchange for gold.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. Om13o]

Ferris, Jean.Once Upon a Marigold. 2002.
A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S.F417o]Twice Upon a Marigold. 2008.
After a quiet, happy year in a small town, Queen Olympia regains her memory and initiates new plots and manipulations, as the residents of Zandelphia and Beaurivage, now ruled by Christian, Marigold, and Swithbert, feel the effects of her bad energy.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. F417t]Thrice Upon a Marigold. 2013.
When Princess Poppy, the daughter of Queen Marigold and King Christian of Zandelphia-Beaurivage, is kidnapped by the kingdom’s former torturer-in-chief and poisoner-in-chief, a ragtag group sets out to rescue her.
[SSHEL S Collection S. F417th]

French, Vivian.The Robe of Skulls. 2008
The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a very expensive new robe, and she will stop at nothing–including kidnapping and black magic–to get the money to pay for it.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. F889r]The Bag of Bones. 2009.
When the quill writes “Go Go Go” frantically on the wall, and the House of the Ancient Crones heaves Gracie Gillypot outside onto the path, it can mean only one thing: there’s Trouble in the Five Kingdoms. This time it’s in the form of a beady-eyed, green-tongued witch named Truda Hangnail.
[SSHEL S Collection S. F889b]The Heart of Glass. 2010.
Gracie Gillypott and Prince Marcus embark on a dwarf-watching outing, not knowing that the dwarves are working frantically making crowns for a royal wedding and that they have enlisted some unreliable trolls to help them, thus putting the humans’ expedition in peril.
[SSHEL S Collection S. F889he]The Flight of Dragons: The Fourth Tales from the Five Kingdoms. 2011.
On Gracie Gillypot’s birthday, greedy, chocolate-hungry twins awaken the banished Old Malignant One, and unless Gracie can find a powerful, long-forgotten dragon’s egg, the Five Kingdoms may succumb to evil magic and Total Oblivion.
[SSHEL S Collection S. F889f]The Music of Zombies. 2013.
Prince Albion expects a unique occasion when he starts planning Cockenzie Rood Day to celebrate his kingdom — and himself. What he doesn’t expect is boppings on the head and kidnapping, all because a zombie wants to play his fiddle in the talent contest. With a misbehaving path, a romantic bat, and a greedy butler to set them on their way, Gracie Gillypot and Prince Marcus are off on their fifth adventure.
[SSHEL S Collection S. F889m]

Gidwitz, Adam.A Tale Dark & Grimm. 2010.
Follows Hansel and Gretel as they walk out of their own story and into eight more tales, encountering such wicked creatures as witches, along with kindly strangers and other helpful folk. Based in part on the Grimms’ fairy tales Faithful Johannes, Hansel and Gretel, The seven ravens, Brother and sister, The robber bridegroom, and The devil and his three golden hairs.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. G3611t]In a Glass Grimmly. 2012.
Frog joins cousins Jack and Jill in leaving their own stories to seek a magic mirror, encountering such creatures as giants, mermaids, and goblins along the way. Based in part on fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen.
[SSHEL S Collection S. G3611i]The Grimm Conclusion. 2013.
Sister and brother Jorinda and Joringel fight to keep their promise to stay together throughout a new series of gruesome, twisted, Grimm-inspired stories
[SSHEL S Collection S. G3611g]

Healy, Christopher.The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. 2012.
The four princes erroneously dubbed Prince Charming and rudely marginalized in their respective fairy tales form an unlikely team when a witch threatens the whole kingdom.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. H3498h]The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. 2013.
The four princes erroneously dubbed Prince Charming and rudely marginalized in their respective fairy tales have to once again save the kingdom from a great threat.
[SSHEL S Collection S. H3498he]The Hero’s Guide to Being an Outlaw. 2014.
Posters plastered across the thirteen kingdoms are saying that Briar Rose has been murdered — and the four Princes Charming (Prince Liam, Prince Frederic, Prince Duncan, and Prince Gustav) are the prime suspects. In a desperate attempt to clear their names, they discover that Briar’s murder is just one part of a nefarious plot to take control of all thirteen kingdoms — a plot that will lead to the doorstep of an eerily familiar fortress for a final showdown with an eerily familiar enemy.
[SSHEL S Collection S. H3498her]

Jones, Noah.Moldylocks and the Three Beards. 2014.
After falling through the refrigerator into the Land of Fake Believe, Princess meets a girl named Moldylocks who takes her to the home of the Three Beards for chili — but when the Beards capture her friend, Princess must come up with a plan to save her.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. J722m]

Petty, J. T.Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer. 2005.
Clever and resourceful Clemency must travel the world to reanimate fairies she has accidentally killed.
[SSHEL S Collection S. P456c]Clemency Pogue: The Hobgoblin Proxy. 2006.
Clemency Pogue and the hobgoblin Chaphesmeeso begin a quest to rescue lost fairies, find a boy-goblin’s changeling, and restore equilibrium to the Make-Believe.
[SSHEL Oak Street S. P456ch]The Scrivener Bees. 2007.
When the rogue changeling Inky Mess tries to take over the Make Believe using the Forgetting Book, feisty fairy-killer Clemency Pogue must put aside worries about her parents and learn to communicate with some frightening bees in order to stop him.
[SSHEL S Collection S. P456sc]

Riley, James.Half Upon a Time. 2010.
In the village of Giant’s Hand Jack’s grandfather has been pushing him to find a princess and get married, so when a young lady falls out of the sky wearing a shirt that says “Punk Princess,” and she tells Jack that her grandmother, who looks suspiciously like the long-missing Snow White, has been kidnapped, Jack decides to help her.
[SSHEL S Collection S. R4534h]Twice Upon a Time. 2012.
Jack, of the village of Giant’s Hand, is now accompanied by a prince as he continues trying to help a reluctant princess find her family, while also attempting to save a city full of fairies from a nameless curse.
[SSHEL S Collection S. R4534t]Once Upon the End. 2013.
Knights, fairy godmothers, giants and beanstalks — all of these and more fill the pages of the conclusion to the Half Upon a Time trilogy
[SSHEL S Collection S. R4534o]

December has arrived in all its frosty glory, and we humans bundle up with hats, scarves, and big, puffy coats to keep warm. But what about the other living things in our world? What do animals do when chilly winds blow and snow starts to fall? This month, we’re bringing you a list of fictional and informational books that tell the story of animals in winter – the ones who burrow in deep and sleep, the ones who move to warmer places, and the ones who have special characteristics that allow them to live in the cold. When searching for children’s books on this topic, try using the subject terms “animals wintering,” “migration,” or “hibernation.” You can even try “animals polar regions” to find books about animals who live in the cold all the time. Search any of these phrases along with “juvenile literature” for nonfiction or “juvenile fiction” for fiction.

Picture Books

Carnesi, Monica.Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear. 2014.
How can two friends share winter when one of them is hibernating? When winter comes Beatrice can’t find Bear anywhere. She hears he’s gone to hibernate, but where on earth is that? When Beatrice learns that hibernation is not a place and that Bear will be sleeping all winter long, she fears it will be a lonely…unless she comes up with a brilliant plan to share winter with Bear too.
[SHELL S Collection SE. C216s]

Fernandes, Eugenie.Kitten’s Winter. 2011.
A young kitten explores the woods on a cold winter day as other animals shelter from the weather or engage in their usual seasonal activities.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. F391kw]

de Haas, Rick.Peter and the Winter Sleepers. 2011.
Peter lives in a lighthouse with his grandmother and dog, Leo. After a giant blizzard, the lighthouse turns into shelter for the birds and bunnies, who just want to sleep through the winter. But should he let the fox in to sleep, too?
[SSHEL S Collection SE. H1119p:E]

Helquist, Brett.Bedtime for Bear. 2011.
Just after the first snowfall, Bear is ready to go to sleep until spring but his friends encourage him to spend one last day playing with them.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H369b]

Johnson, Amy Crane.Lewis Cardinal’s First Winter. 2009.
Lewis Cardinal notices all his friends getting ready for the coming winter. Some of his friends like Cinnamon Bear and Polly Frog are getting ready to hibernate and robins are flying south for the winter. He does not know what to do for the winter so asks for advice from wise Solomon Raven, who helps him understand how different animals react differently to winter.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. J6302l]

Krensky, Stephen.Chaucer’s First Winter. 2008.
Chaucer knows that bears are supposed to sleep through the winter. But it’s much more fun to stay up and play!
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books Q. SE. K882c]

Messner, Kate.Over and Under the Snow. 2011.
Over the snow, the world is hushed and white, but under the snow is a secret world of squirrels and snowshoe hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many others who live outside in the woods during the winter.
[SHELL S Collection Q. SE. M5641o]

Pendziwol, Jean E.Once Upon a Northern Night. 2013.
In this exquisite lullaby, a parent paints a picture of a northern winter night for a sleeping child, describing the beauty of a snowfall, wild animals that appear in the garden, the twinkling stars, the gentle rhythm of the northern lights and the etchings of frost on the window pane.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. P374o]

Stead, Philip C.Bear Has a Story to Tell. 2012.
It was almost winter and Bear was getting sleepy. But first, Bear had a story to tell…
Bear found his friend Mouse, but Mouse was busy gathering seeds and didn’t have time to listen to a story. Then Bear saw his friend Duck, but Duck was getting ready to fly south. What about his friend Toad? He was busy looking for a warm place to sleep. By the time Bear was through helping his friends get ready for winter, would anyone still be awake to hear his story?
[SSHEL S Collection SE. St3112b]

Nonfiction: Migration

Cohn, Scotti.On the Move: Seasonal Migrations. 2013.
Imagine seeing hundreds of the same type of animal gathered at the same place at the same time! Right here in North America, many animals gather in huge numbers at predictable times and locations. Not all migrations are tied to seasonal food changes–some are tied to life cycles. Certain birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, fish, and even insects migrate during spring, summer, fall, or winter. Travel along with them as you learn about what puts these animals On the Move.
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.568 C661o]

Crossingham, John.What Is Migration? 2002.
A simple presentation of the migratory habits of such animals as geese, eels, frogs and toads, and more.
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.568 C884w]

Gans, Roma.How Do Birds Find Their Way? 1996.
Explores the mysteries of bird migration, including theories on how birds find their way and how scientists learn about migration.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.598.1568 G157H]

Hiscock, Bruce.Ookpik: The Travels of a Snowy Owl. 2008.
Fed by his parents, Ookpik, which means “snowy owl” in the Inuit language, grows quickly in the short Arctic summer. By autumn he has learned to hunt on his own, but prey is scarce on the tundra that year. The owl’s instincts tell him that he must leave this land or starve. Ookpik flies south, over the great forests of Canada, and finally lands in the United States, searching for food and a winter hunting ground.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.598.97 H621o]

Crossingham, John.What Is Hibernation? 2002.
Describes the process of hibernation and the various ways in which different animals use this process to survive in harsh climates.
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.565 C884w]

Ganeri, Anita.Hibernation. 2005.
What is hibernation? Where do different animals hibernate? Which animal hibernates for more than six months? Animal hibernation follows a pattern. Most animals hibernate when it becomes too cold and it is hard to find food. They go into a deep sleep until it gets warmer. Read Hibernation to find out why this pattern happens.
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.565 G154h]

Miller, Debbie S.Survival at 40 Below. 2010.
As temperatures drop and the snow deepens, the animals that make the tundra home must ready themselves for survival. Follow the arctic ground squirrel as it begins the cycle of sleeping, supercooling, and warming that will occur at least a dozen times before spring arrives. See how the wood frog partially freezes itself in hibernation beneath layers of snow, or how the woolly bear caterpillars makes it through the winter months with a special antifreeze substance that prevents ice from forming in their bodies. Then when the temperatures finally rise and the snow begins to melt, these creatures emerge and the pulse of life returns to the arctic.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.591.75 M613s]

Powell, Consie.The First Day of Winter. 2005.
Go outside and see what winter means to the earth and its animals.
[SSHEL S Collection S.508.2 P871f]

Seuling, Barbara.Winter Lullaby. 1998.
Depicts the ways various animals spend the cold months of winter, from bats sleeping in caverns to fish swimming deeper in lakes where the water is warmer.
[SSHEL S Collection S.591.543 Se81w]

Stewart, Melissa.Under the Snow. 2009.
A journey through the fields, forests, ponds and wetlands to see how animals survive in the snowy winter months, and when the sun’s rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for springtime.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.591.43 St497u]

Not only is November the month of Thanksgiving, of bonfires, falling leaves, and a definite chill in the air – it is also known as National Novel Writing Month! What better time to cozy up inside and work on your creative writing skills than when the weather is becoming gray and cold? Or, help fuel a young one’s dreams of being a writer with some books about characters who decide to become authors themselves. When looking for books related to this topic, try searching subject terms like “authorship” and “creative writing” along with the subject terms “juvenile fiction” (fiction for young readers) or “juvenile literature” (non-fiction for young readers). For resources on writing books for children, try searching the subject term “authorship children’s literature.”

Online Resources

National Novel Writing Month website
http://nanowrimo.org/
This website describes the idea behind National Novel Writing month – it encourages anyone and everyone to write a 50,000 word novel by 11:59 pm on November 30. It is a non-profit organization that partners with educators, libraries, and communities to encourage writing and creativity. You can create an account to track your progress, find inspiration for writing, and be part of a community of writers.

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
http://www.scbwi.org/online-resources/just-getting-started/
This website gives tips on the best way to go about getting your children’s book published. It includes answers to frequently asked questions about children’s book publishing, how to prepare your manuscript for an editor, how to find the right publisher, and suggestions from a publishing editor.

Print Resources on Writing for Children

Fritz, Jean & Zinsser, William.Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children. 1990.
Six prominent children’s authors, including Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, and Jack Prelutsky, agree that to enter the worlds that children inhabit, you must possess the magic word – honesty.
[SSHEL S Collection S.808.068 W893]

Harrison, Barbara & Maguire, Gregory.Origins of Story: On Writing for Children. 1999.
In Origins of Story, notable writers for children consider how literature, memory, and moral passion serve the writers. Implicit in their essays is the realization that we have much to learn from literature that mirrors the lives of children.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. 808.068 Or4]

Picture Books and Early Readers

Auch, Mary Jane.The Plot Chickens. 2009.
Henrietta the chicken loves to read so much that she decides to write a book herself, but first no one will publish a book written by a chicken, and then, when she publishes it herself and it gets a terrible review in “The Corn Book,” Henrietta is devastated.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. Au22pl]

Brown, Marc.Arthur Writes a Story. 1996.
The class homework assignment is to write a story, and everyone seems to be writing about something interesting…except Arthur. Will he find something he cares to write about or will his story be a big mess?
[SSHEL S Collection SE. B8143aw]

Hills, Tad.Rocket Writes a Story. 2012.
Rocket loves books and he wants to make his own, but he can’t think of a story. Encouraged by a little yellow bird to look closely at the world around him for inspiration, Rocket sets out on a journey.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. H559r]

Kirk, Daniel.Library Mouse. 2007.
Sam, a shy but creative mouse who lives in a library, decides to write and illustrate his own stories which he places on the shelves with the other library books but when children find the tales, they all want to meet the author.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. K634li]

Kirk, Daniel.Library Mouse: A Friend’s Tale. 2009.
Sam, the shy mouse that lives in the library and likes to write books, collaborates with a boy in the library’s Authors and Illustrators Club.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. K634lib]

Rylant, Cynthia.Mr. Putter & Tabby Write a Book. 2004.
During a big snow, Mr. Putter decides to write a mystery novel, but what he ends up with is entirely different.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. R983mpw]

Intermediate and YA

Butler, Dori Hillestad.Tank Talbott’s Guide to Girls. 2006.
Tank’s three stepsisters will be sharing his cramped house for the summer vacation. Plus he needs a math tutor and must fill a notebook with his writing — just to pass fifth grade! But he comes up with a guide to girls that is sure to be a hit.
[SSHEL S Collection S. B976ta]

Cabot, Meg.Forever Princess. 2009.
Although she has recently completed a 400-page romance novel, Princess Mia, in her last month of high school, has yet to pick a college, find a prom dress, or decide if her boyfriend J.P. is really The One.
[SSHEL S Collection S. C1121pril]

Clements, Andrew.A School Story. 2001.
After twelve-year-old Natalie writes a wonderful novel, her friend Zoe helps her devise a scheme to get it accepted at the publishing house where Natalie’s mother works as an editor.
[SSHEL S Collection S. C5914s]

Creech, Sharon.Love That Dog. 2001.
Slowly Jack learns the pleasures of writing poetry as Miss Stretchberry encourages him to tell his own story through verse. What emerges is a moving and memorable story about a boy and his dog and his growing passion for poetry.
[SSHEL S Collection S. C861l 2001]

Haddix, Margaret Peterson.Dexter the Tough. 2007.
A sympathetic teacher and her writing assignment help fourth-grader Dexter deal with being the new kid in school after he punches a kid on the first day.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. H1172de]

MacLachlan, Patricia.Word After Word After Word. 2010.
Every school day feels the same for fourth graders Lucy and Henry and Evie and Russell and May. Then Ms. Mirabel comes to their class — bringing magical words and a whole new way of seeing and understanding.
[SSHEL S Collection S. M22wo]

Russell, Ching Yeung.Tofu Quilt. 2009.
Growing up in 1960s Hong Kong, a young girl dreams of becoming a writer in spite of conventional limits placed on her by society and family.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. R912t]

Selfors, Suzanne.Mad Love. 2011.
When her famous romance-novelist mother is secretly hospitalized in an expensive mental facility, sixteen-year-old Alice tries to fulfill her mother’s contract with her publisher by writing a love story — with the help of Cupid.
[SSHEL S Collection S. Se486m]

Service, Pamela F.Escape From Planet Yastol. 2011.
Eleven-year-old Joshua Higgins’ prize-winning science fiction novel draws the attention of sinister blue aliens who capture Josh and his sister Maggie and take them to the planet Yastrol, the setting of his novel.
[SSHEL S Collection S. Se69e]

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley.The Bronze Pen. 2008.
With her father’s failing health and the family’s shaky finances, twelve-year-old Audrey’s dreams of becoming a writer seem very impractical until she is given a peculiar bronze pen that appears to have unusual powers.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S. Sn92br]

Non-fiction

Fletcher, Ralph J.Guy-Write: What Every Guy Writer Needs to Know. 2012.
It’s no secret that many guys dread writing assignments. But writing doesn’t have to be “boring nerd-work.” Writing is about power; it’s about fun; it’s about spoofs, humor, sports, blood, farts, superheroes, giant monsters tearing down the city, and serious subjects, too.
[The Center for Children’s Books S.808.068 F6372g]

Harrison, David.Writing Stories: Fantastic Fiction from Start to Finish. 2004.
Inspiration and guidance for gathering story ideas, writing story outlines, revising, and all the secrets good writers use to make their stories shine. Everything young writers needs to know to improve their stories: how to start a story, suggestions to help with plot, character, voice, and setting, how to end a story, and questions to ask when the story is done to help make revisions.
[SSHEL S Collection and SSHEL Oak Street S.808.3 H245w]

Mazer, Anne; Potter, Ellen.Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook. 2010.
After receiving letters from fans asking for writing advice, accomplished authors Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter joined together to create this guidebook for young writers. The authors mix inspirational anecdotes with practical guidance on how to find a voice, develop characters and plot, make revisions, and overcome writer’s block. Fun writing prompts will help young writers jump-start their own projects, and encouragement throughout will keep them at work.
[The Center for Children’s Books S. 808.3 M457s]

Myers, Walter Dean.Just Write: Here’s How. 2012.
An award-winning author guides readers through the writing process, and includes examples from his own works, outlines for writing fiction and nonfiction, and excerpted pages from the author’s writing notebooks.
[SSHEL S Collection and the Center for Children’s Books S.808.02 M992j]

There are many different ways to enjoy apples. From growing to cooking, apples in our lives represent everything from autumn and America to symbolism in fairy tales. They provide an easy way for discussing the growth cycle of a fruit from seed to edible product and provide a teaching gateway into exploring healthy snacks or baking delicious treats. Their many different colors and types also provide an excellent tool for learning about color and variation. For more stories of apples, try searching keywords “apples” and “life cycles” or “apples” and “seasons” with the subject “juvenile literature” for nonfiction books. For picture books search subjects such as “apples” and “juvenile fiction” or “picture books for children.” For poetry and rhymes try searching “apples” and “children’s poetry”.” Though, if someone from the United Kingdom tells you to “go up the apples” they actually mean “stairs” from the fairly well known cockney rhyming slang where “apples and pears” equals “stairs.”

Non-Fiction

Farmer, JacquelineApples. 2007.
Today, the average American consumes about sixty-five fresh apples each year. Where do so many apples come from? How do they grow? Jacqueline Farmer takes young readers on a field trip to the apple orchard to find out how apple growers turn seeds and seedlings into the many different varieties of America’s favorite fruit. Recipes, trivia, and fun facts included.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. S.634.F229a]

Powell, ConsieAmazing Apples. 2003.Absolutely the Perfect fruit to Put in your Lunchbox and Eat Later. Acrostic poems made from apple-themed words lead readers through the growing season-from early spring buds to apple-picking time to naked tree branches resting in winter. Accompanied by beautiful, hand-colored woodblock prints, Amazing Apples also includes some apple history as well as ideas about what to do with apples. Children will enjoy these flavor-filled poems that celebrate this popular fruit.
[SSHEL S Collection S.811 P871a]

Robbins, KenApples. 2002.
Apples! Apples! Apples! Crunchy and tasty, sweet and tart, in colorful shades of red, yellow, and green — sometimes all three — everyone loves apples! In this lively and vibrant book, young readers will learn how apples grow, from the planting of a tree, to the pollination of buds by bees, and on to the harvest. And then comes the fun part as apples are used to tease the taste buds in so many ways — in pies and strudel, in cider and applesauce, but most of all, in that one simple crunch when one bites into an apple’s crisp sweetness. Ken Robbins’s hand-colored photographs will make you want to take a bite yourself!
[SSHEL S Collection S.634.11 R536a]

Gibbons, GailApples. 2000.
Explains how apples were brought to America, how they grow, their traditional uses and cultural significance, and some of the varieties grown.
[SSHEL S Collection S.634.11 G352a]

Spirin, GennadyA Apple Pie. 2005.
In this spectacular recreation of one of the most beloved alphabet rhymes of all time, New York Times Best Illustrator Gennady Spirin brings to life the delicious and whimsical fortunes of an apple pie — through the alphabet! Look for the tiny butterfly in the picture where B bit it. Find the fox on the page where F fought for it. Discover hundreds of delightful details in these enchanting pictures each time the book is shared.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. A91]

Picture Books

Hutchins, PatTen Red Apples. 2000.
Ten red apples hanging on a tree. Yippee, fiddle-dee-fee! But they are not there for long. Horse, cow, donkey, pig, hen, and the other farm animals each eat one. “Save one for me,” calls the farmer. But what about the farmer’s wife? Count on Pat Hutchins to solve the problem happily. And count the red apples before they are all gone!
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H97te]

Rockwell, AnneApples and Pumpkins. 2011
In Apples and Pumpkins, a little girl spends a glorious fall day picking apples and searching for the perfect pumpkin.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. R593ap]

Hopkinson, DeborahApples to Oregon. 2004.
When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too. But the trail is cruel — first there’s a river to cross that’s wider than Texas…and then there are hailstones as big as plums…and there’s even a drought, sure to crisp the cherries. Those poor pippins! Luckily Delicious (the non-edible apple of Daddy’s eye) is strong — as young ‘uns raised on apples are — and won’t let anything stop her father’s darling saps from tasting the sweet Oregon soil.
[SSHEL S Collection Q. SE. H777a]

Glass, AndrewFolks Call Me Johnny Appleseed. 1995.
There are many tall tales about Johnny Appleseed. Most tell of his courage, generosity, and potent green thumb. Many people don’t know that the real Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman, was a tale-spinner himself. One story John loved telling was about the time his half-brother, Nathaniel, came to live with him in the rough wilderness of northwestern Pennsylvania. Nathaniel did not expect to find John dressed in a burlap sack with a mush pot on his head, living in a hollow sycamore tree. John had to bail Nathaniel out of trouble more than once. This homespun, comical story brings out the compassion, humor, and independent spirit of this quintessentially American hero.
[SSHEL S Collection Q.SE. G463F]

Wellington, MonicaAna Cultiva Manzanas = Apple Farmer Annie. 2004.
A delicious treat about America’s favorite fruit is now available in a Spanish bilingual format. Ana grows and sells apples, and she makes cider and applesauce and muffins. A glossary helps kids learn the names of Ana’s delicious ingredients in both languages. With tie-ins to math and science curricula and units on autumn, this book will be especially welcomed by teachers. Truly the pick of the crop!
[SSHEL S Collection SE. W46a]

Intermediate and Young Adult Fiction

O’Connor, JaneFancy Nancy Apples Galore! 2013.
Fancy Nancy is thrilled when Ms. Glass announces a class field trip: apple picking! Nancy is determined to find a perfect Gala apple for her dad — it’s his favorite kind, and even the name sounds fancy! But what if that perfect apple is just out of reach? In the fancy footsteps of all of the Fancy Nancy I Can Reads, Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore! will delight beginning readers. With easy-to-read text and vibrant illustrations, fancy fans will clamor for more.
[SSHEL S Collection SE. Oc55a]

Archer, LilyThe Poison Apples. 2007.
At an elite Massachusetts boarding school, three fifteen-year-old girls of very different backgrounds discover a common bond and form a club to plot revenge against their evil stepmothers.
[SSHEL S Collection S.Ar23p]

MacBride, Roger LeaIn the Land of the Big Red Apple. 1995.
A year after moving to their farm in the Ozarks, Laura and Almanzo Wilder and their young daughter, Rose, have settled into their new home with a successful vegetable harvest and the beginnings of an apple orchard.
[SSHEL S Collection S. M1221I]

Lakin, PatriciaMax & Mo Go Apple Picking. 2007.
Max and Mo are tired of eating corn. Luckily the big ones — the kids — just went apple picking. Everyone knows you can make applesauce with apples, but is there anything else you can make with them?
[SSHEL S Collection SE. L149mm]

Prepared by:
Kim Looby
Graduate Student
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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About

Welcome to the blog for the S-Collection for children's and young adult literature at the Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign). We will use this blog to post information about our collection, provide tips on how to find specific resources, and share information that will be useful for certain University of Illinois courses that utilize the S-Collection. S-Collection homepage.

All the images on the S-Collection pages are used with the kind permission of Children's Books Online: The Rosetta Project, the largest online collection of illustrated antique children's books. The S-Collection logo is made up of letters from alphabet books in the Rosetta Project's collection.